Things Left Behind
by PenguinsRFunny
Summary: Susan's return to England places both she and Caspian on paths of disappointment and emptiness. How will their separation affect them and the worlds they live in? AU Movieverse. Susan/Caspian definitely
1. Chapter 1

"Aren't you coming Phyllis

**A/N – To all of my HM readers sorry but this one story is based on the movie prince Caspian which if you haven't seen I highly recommend it! **

**Also I don't own the characters from C.S. Lewis. Get it? Got it? Good. (Goes for every chapter)**

"Aren't you coming Phyllis?"

The voice of the boy with the awkward looking smile and coke bottle glasses stunned Susan into realization.

She was back.

As the rest of the Pevensies rushed to gather their things Susan was barely aware of what was happening. She went through the motions of getting her suitcase and jacket and rushed onto the train like everyone else. She stood and braced herself for the motion that was soon to follow. She even tried to smile at Edmund and his almost joke about leaving his new torch in Narnia.

But then she stopped. Her smile disappeared.

It struck her like a wave of ice water. She was back in England. And here she was listening to her brother talk about a stupid torch that he had left back in Narnia. A torch that they could replace. The thought that was even more terrifying to her was that it was a torch that he might be able to retrieve himself…when he went back without her.

Susan tried to breath but the air around her seemed incapable of bringing her the relief she needed. He could go back…and she couldn't. A handful of steps had changed her life….forever. A chill went through her as images of everything she had left behind swept through her mind's eye.

She saw the crowd of Telmarines and Narnians standing together…a feat they had all fought valiantly to achieve.

She saw her throne next to those of her brothers and her sister from where they had ruled over Narnia and brought peace and prosperity to many.

She saw the soldiers and peasants that she had taught to defend themselves as she shared her gift for archery.

She saw the respect and devotion of those she had ruled over as they came to her for help.

And she saw him.

She struggled with her breathing again as she clearly saw his beautiful face and the pain that had washed over it when she told him she wasn't coming back. That look caused her more pain than any hundred arrows. But she had told herself that she had to be strong, that she had to keep herself together for her family.

But they hadn't seen what she had.

She saw him and the king he would become. She saw the king who would fight passionately to defend his countrymen and the man whose heart was as gentle as Lucy's.

She saw the timidity and longing in his eyes as he had looked at her, not trusting himself to truly give his heart away when everyone in his life thus far had either betrayed or left him.

But worst of all she thought she could see herself at his side. He made her want to let go of her own fears and take down the sturdy walls that surrounded her heart because she knew he was just as scared as she.

And although she had tried to deny it every chance she got she could see herself being happy.

Caspian had looked at her with devotion, admiration, respect and trust from the moment they met and she knew that no one in this world would ever look at her like that again. In Narnia she was admired respected….and as she thought of what her future with the King might have been she could also see a time in the future where she would have been deeply loved.

DAMN BRAVERY! She shouted in her head. She had just bravely walked away from a man who made her feel more alive and beautiful with a simple gaze than she had ever felt before in the entirety of her life.

The train jolted as it came to their stop rocking a tear from Susan's eyelid that she hadn't known was building.

Susan lifted her head to follow her siblings off the train but in all other ways she was desperately lost. She felt hollow….as if the girl in the red blazer was some figment of her imagination.

As she walked through the busy train station catching the attention of no one she knew that it was much worse than that. The girl in the red blazer…this Susan Pevensie….was nothing but a ghost….A ghost of the woman she was and a mere whisper of the life she might have had.

Edmund stopped and opened another pocket of his bag. With a large smile and triumphant motion he brought the aforementioned missing torch out from hiding…showing his siblings that he hadn't left it behind after all.

The tears running across her cheeks betrayed Susan's otherwise emotionless face while the woman inside her wept for all the things SHE had left behind.

**So….I know this is a sort of out there beginning but I love writing things where we try and really understand the characters so there will be more of that and less action than in some of the other fics out there. I also won't pursue this unless there are actually people interested in reading more. I have a few ideas and this is definitely a susan/Caspian fic so they will be in the same world at the same time in this story. Please read and review. I take a lot from them…no flames please. **


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Guys-

**Hey Guys-**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to all of you HM readers who have decided to give me another shot after my long absence. We get to see Caspian's reaction to everything in this chapter. Enjoy!**

The sun had set a half an hour earlier leaving the assembly area with the great tree blanketed in darkness.

The young king walked slowly around the empty meeting place that had been so full just hours before. Hours later he still couldn't believe everything that had happened in this place today. He did not know how to feel about it either. He relished the chance that Aslan had given those who wanted a new beginning in their lives but at the same time he felt resentful and cheated by the lion by the removal of his own hopes of a new beginning. The new king sat down on the stone wall and let his gaze fall unseeing to his hands a mixture of sadness and disappointment taking hold of his heart.

He had awoken that morning so excited and happy. Things had been going so well. His kingdom had been united and slowly his subjects were putting aside their deep seated fears and learning to embrace their new world.

He laughed to himself as he remembered how quickly he had dressed and gone to the dining hall of the great Telmarine castle. He had dressed carefully putting on the best tunic he had…one that he hoped would befit a king of Telmar….and one that he hoped SHE would notice on him.

Caspian lifted his head to look over Telmar at the thought of Queen Susan. He knew none of this would have been possible without her and her siblings. He would not now be king without them. And in their own way each had given him so much. Peter had taught him how to lead even in the face of immense adversity. Edmund had shown him bravery and selflessness and Lucy seemed to embody faith and love of all those around her. And yet the thing he had loved most about them was the sense of family. The 4 pevensie children seemed to be able to conquer anything as long as they were together and for the first time in his life Caspian had felt as if there might be a place for him in their midst.

He had known that his uncle had never truly cared for him but having been deprived of his parents since he was very young he had forgotten what true affection and caring had felt like…until he met them….and until he had seen her.

Susan. She had stirred feelings inside of him that he hadn't known existed. He had never met a more beautiful, strong and amazing woman and everything inside of him was mourning the loss of her presence. He had thought that seeing her dangling many stories above Alsan's How was the most terrifying thing he had experienced but watching her walk away from him…from everything he was feeling for her was excruciating.

They had spent the days after the battle slowly getting to know each other, Caspian talking of his fears at ruling so many people fairly and Susan assuring him that what he was feeling was completely normal. Caspian had shown her his castle and the city he lived in and he had never taken more pride in what the Telmarines could be then when talking and showing them to Susan. And in those days they had grown even closer. The long looks that they had shared with each other during the days of the battle hadn't ceased but they were now accompanied by soft touches and rapid heart beats. During the battles Susan would often find ways to take herself away from the princes disarming looks but since they had arrived she would hold his gaze and Caspian knew both of them were getting quite lost in each other.

And then he had seen those beautiful blue eyes frozen in sadness as she walked with the great lion and he knew everything was about to change. He had wanted to go to her and ask her what was wrong but he couldn't. He had no right. As much as he relished those long glances and the rush of his heart as he held her hand in his neither of those things would merit embracing her and comforting her in front of her brother and Aslan. And so he had walked away… and as a consequence he didn't know if the crushing feeling in his chest would ever go away.

Suddenly a cloaked figure appeared in the darkness.

Caspian quickly stood and withdrew the small sword that he carried with him for protection. Immediately a line of mice appeared out of nowhere.

"Stop and declare yourself or prepare to draw swords with the knights of Narnia!" Reepicheep shouted.

The cloaked figure stopped and uncovered its head revealing a beautiful young woman with golden hair. She smirked at the mouse in front of her.

Caspian let out the breath he had been holding and dropped his sword knowing that although he would live through this encounter it would probably not be a pleasant one.

"It is alright Reepicheep. She's _mostly _harmless." Caspian said sheathing his sword again. The mice bowed and left the two Telmarines alone.

The woman laughed. "Well who in their right mind would want to be completely harmless?" The woman asked with laughter in her voice.

Caspian let out a frustrated breath. "Is there something you _want _Amara?"

Amara pretended to examine her fingernails as if the question bored her. "I don't _want _ anything. I had just heard that you made a complete fool of yourself today and figured you might need someone to help you figure out what you did wrong."

Caspian scoweled at her and in his most kingly voice replied softly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Amara strode up to the wall the king had been sitting on and looked out. "Well my good for almost nothing brother tells me that you may have let queen Susan disappear right in front of your eyes and did absolutely nothing about it." She replied with an air of indifference.

Caspian looked over at her furrowing his dark eyes. "And what does that matter. She's a queen… she can go anywhere she likes."

Amara's eyes darkened looking for the first time since meeting very serious. "It matters because this same brother thinks you might be falling for this woman….and _that _my dear prince makes every bit of difference!" Amara finished with fire in her voice.

Caspian looked at his hands again. He knew she was right he had just hoped no one had noticed what an idiot he had been. But then again he had never been able to put something over Amara or her brother.

Letting out a sigh he turned to her. "Just in case you missed it. They made me King of Telmar so be careful who you call "prince" around here. And secondly I just met her. How on earth am I supposed to fall for someone I just met?"

Amara looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Who is it that you're trying to convince? Me or You? Either way though you'd still be in denial. I may not have been there this afternoon but I saw the way the two of you looked at each other and no one could deny that there were strong feelings there. And as to your beloved title…A true KING of Telmar would not be afraid to tell someone how he felt about them." She spoke softly but with conviction.

Caspian let out a huge frustrated breath. "Alright…do you want to hear me say it? Fine! I was an absolute idiot! I heard that she was leaving and I stood there like a fish out of water with my mouth hanging open! I couldn't SAY anything! Then when she's coming over to say goodbye ALL I could say to her was that I wished we had more time together. WHO says that? I'll tell you who…idiot kings who can't get their mouths to work properly!" Caspian kicked a stone on the ground to accentuate his frustration.

Amara turned around to face the king with a giant grin on her face. "Well it seems that your mouth is working just fine now so at least we know it's not a mechanical problem."

Caspian just glared at her and then lifted his eyebrows and smirked at her. "You do realize that if you keep giving me trouble I have an entire army at my disposal. I doubt very much that anyone would truly miss you." He said with a small smile lining his handsome features.

Amara leaned back with her elbows against the wall smiling back. With anyone else this type of banter would have been considered flirting but with Caspian it had always been her way to verbally spar with her old friend. "Is it true she kissed you?"

The effect on his features was immediate. His eyes lost focus slightly as he stared out into space. She could see him replaying it in his mind. He nodded with a slight blush to his features. "Yes….And if it hadn't knocked me so completely senseless I might have had more of a chance to respond. What kind of a king will I be if I can't even keep my composure around a pretty girl?"

Amara hopped away from the wall coming closer to Caspian. "Well I must say you do a fine job keeping your composure together around me so we must assume it is this particular pretty girl that gives you problems. And now that we know the source of the problem we can work on it for future reference," Amara finished with an authoritative and take charge air.

Caspians nearly black eyes darkened and he turned away from his friend. "There won't be a next time." He said in almost a whisper. "She's gone…for good."

To Amara the pain in his voice was evident. She had never seen her friend worked up this much about anything. Although she hadn't been at the assembly she had met the queen when Aslan had crowned Caspian and it was obvious to her that both the monarchs had strong feelings for one another even though they had both tried to hide it. Caspian had always been handsome and caught the eyes of many women in the country but none of them had understood him. They all thought of how wonderful it would be to stand next to the handsome future king of Telmar but none realized how painful and lonely such a thing could be… but Susan understood it all. She had fought along with him and both had watched as soldiers who trusted them died at the hands of their enemy. They both understood the pain that came with such responsibility and both humbly gave themselves to serving others knowing how much was riding on their decisions.

Their reluctance to show each other how they felt was another reason they were so perfect for one another. Both Caspian and Susan had gone through times where things they had loved had been taken away from them and both guarded their hearts because of it.

In essence Susan was every bit Caspian's equal and Amara did not know if he would find anyone who would fill those holes in his heart as Susan was starting to.

Amara walked over to Caspian so that they were nearly touching. She could see him trying to hold back tears. She reached up and placed both hands on his heart. "All I know is that Aslan said that Susan had learned everything that Narnia could teach her." She stood on tiptoes and looked pointedly in Caspians deep dark eyes. "Maybe this separation wasn't meant to teach _her _anything."

Caspian's wide dark eyes now met hers with stunned fascination.

He stumbled over his next words trying to wipe away the tears that had been ready to escape his eyes. "You mean….you think this was done to teach _me_?" Caspian asked with hope lining his features.

Amara sighed. "I am not Aslan but I do know from our studies with Cornelius that people rarely understand what is really being asked of them when they see and speak to Aslan. It is only after things have run their course that they see his true purpose. I also know that if these feelings are as strong as I think they are that they are worth fighting for."

Amara placed pressure back against his heart "As long as you still feel Susan here..I don't think she has truly left for good."

Caspian's head bent down in thought and sadness. "How can I fight for something that is unreachable? And how do I know that I'm not just setting myself up for disappointment holding onto these feelings? What if she never comes back?"

Amara stepped away from the king. "Those are the questions that are at the essence of love AND faith. And maybe that is exactly what you are meant to be learning through this. You don't have an easy road ahead of you but you have the best heart I have ever known….and it is time that you trusted in it and yourself. If your heart tells you to let her go then I would do that….if not…..embrace it."

Caspian looked at her again. In a soft unsure voice he said "I never said that what I felt was love."

Amara looked at her friend over her shoulder and with a slight sadness she replied. "You didn't have to."

And with that Amara walked away from him leaving his head and his heart searching for answers. He knew his heart would hold onto his feelings for Susan as long as he breathed. He also knew he would somehow fight for these feelings and would not give up his hope.

He looked over at Amara's retreating form and chuckled. He had been right. This meeting had not been easy but even now he could feel himself recovering from the pain he had let consume him. If Susan did coming back to his life he would owe her BIG for this and he knew she would never let him forget it.

He looked up at the stars and thanked Aslan for all those in his life that could bring him pain but show him the way to happiness.

He walked away from their meeting with love of his friendship with Amara deep in his heart and his love of a different kind for Susan giving him the strength to carry on.

**PLEASE REVIEW!! I'm begging! You never know maybe if you review enough stories the powers that be will take pity on you and grant your hearts desire…For me I'm thinking Ben Barnes on a beach bringing me drinks and chocolate. A girl can dream right? **

**CHEERS **


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there-

**Hey there-**

**So I think I figured out the end…I can never write a story in order…my mind just doesn't work that way but there is going to be angst and difficulties so this was sort of a way to diffuse the tension. I hope you don't mind. Stay tuned.**

A week later Susan sat in the corner of the school library with a book open in front of her, her blue eyes unfocused and staring out the window.

A pretty girl with wavy blond hair and soulful blue eyes sat down across from her. "So…this is where you've been hiding. I noticed that silly looking boy who's been waiting near the gates for you the last few days so I don't necessarily blame you." She said with a smirk trying to get a smile out of the depressed looking girl in front of her.

Susan looked over slightly bored and shrugged her shoulders absently turning the page without looking at it. "He still thinks my name is Phyllis."

The girl across the table narrowed her eyes slightly at her companion as if sizing her up. Then watching Susan's face for any reaction she tilted her head and tried a new tactic. "Well you never know…the silly looking ones always seem to be rather successful so maybe you should give him a shot."

Susan just flipped another page and shrugged once again without feeling "I guess."

The new girl was not impressed. Without warning she stood up and grabbed Susan by the forearm and forcibly dragged her from the table.

"Cassy! Hey what do you think you're doing?" Susan whispered loudly looking around to see that everyone in the library was looking at them.

The force in the eyes that looked down upon her made something in Susan tremble.

"Me? What am I doing? I'm trying to help you. You've suddenly lost interest in absolutely everything Susan! The girl I know would never in a _million years _think to go out with a boy like that. Not to mention the fact that you've been walking along like some sort of zombie not paying attention to anyone or anything. So I unlike all the others here who are just too afraid of you to do anything, I am _not _just going to stand by and let this happen. So if you want to have a go right here in the library where we're sure to get detention then fine but I thought I'd save us both the trouble of trying to keep our voices down by getting the hell out of here so I can yell at you properly."

Susan just scowled and rolled her eyes. "Lord …nothing is wrong! But since you _obviously _know what's best for _me _and because I don't want to get expelled why don't you just lead the way," she offered swinging her arm wide in a mock gesture of servitude.

Cassy grabbed her stuff and walked out the front door of the library with Susan following close behind. As they crossed the courtyard and out the gates the awkward looking boy that they had been speaking of earlier moved to come and talk to Susan. Cassy put one hand up towards the boy in a gesture that stopped him cold. "Sorry my friend but Phyllis and I are having a serious discussion today so you won't be able to walk her to her train. We'll see you later."

Cassy then grabbed Susan's arm and marched her to the nearby park, leaving the awkward looking boy speechless staring after them.

They reached a bench and Cassy shoved Susan down upon it. Susan maintained her arms crossed across her chest and her frown had become even more engrained upon her face. With a patronizing look she glared at Cassy who was now sitting next to her. "You know we don't have to pretend that I don't know who put you up to this. I've seen you and Peter walking home from school together this past week."

Cassy sighed. She didn't want to actually fight with Susan but she knew that kindness and sugar coating would get her nowhere with someone as stubborn as Susan Pevensie.

"So what if Peter asked me to see if I could find out what was going on with you. It's not like you've been very pleasant to him or the rest of your family this last week. He told me you don't talk to anyone and have taken to eating in your room! I've never seen you like this. What the hell is going on?"

Susan looked away and rolled her eyes. "NOTHING is different alright. I just haven't felt up to being in company much."

"Ha!" Cassy laughed indignantly. "If this is nothing I'd hate to see what you'd be like if you were really upset and out of sorts. I mean really what happens then eh? Does your head start spinning round and acid flow out of your eyes? You have completely stopped putting any sort of effort into your schoolwork. You only do the bare minimum so no one will get you in trouble but absolutely nothing more, you hide out in the oddest places yet I always see you glancing off into space. And as much as you liked to be by yourself before you have completely locked everyone out of your life including your brothers and sister."

Susan remained scowling. She was a queen in Narnia and no one had the right to yell at her. "Listen! I haven't done anything to hurt anyone, and if I don't see the point in memorizing all these useless facts and keeping to myself then it's my own business so I'd appreciate it if you and Peter would just stay out of it!"

Susan forcefully pushed herself off the bench and started to make for the exit of the park when Cassy's hand locked onto her forearm.

Cassy took and deep breath trying to not let the fiery girl in front of her tip off her own temper. She then looked at Susan and remained calm steadying herself for her counterattack. "You may be able to bully your siblings into backing away from you because you've scared them to death that you'll really throw yourself out of their lives if they push you but it won't work with me. I know that there is something bothering you and I won't stop until you've told me what it is. And unlike your family I know I can do it cause I can live my life just fine knowing that you hate me but I can't let you destroy yourself like this…._that's _something I just can't live with."

Susan looked away from her and said nothing wanting to hold onto her anger and indignation at being treated in such a way.

Without warning Cassy's voice lost some of its edge. "You don't always have to be the strong one pretending that nothing ever bothers or hurts you. It is possible to be strong and gentle at the same time."

At the mention of part of her former title all the fight seemed to leave Susan at once. A small tear ran down her cheek. She was so tired. She had tried not thinking about him this past week and it had just frozen everything inside of her. She didn't want to be near her family because despite the fact that they had all been brought back from Narnia they all seemed to be fine about it…and happy, and Susan hated seeing anyone feeling happy when she felt so completely miserable.

She looked back at Cassy and she knew she was going to give in. In hear heart she knew that she had _wanted _someone to talk to but all of her siblings thought she should just magically get over this and Susan knew no such thing was possible. She looked at Cassy and knew that the time had come to unburden herself just a little.

Susan shrugged off Cassy's deathgrip and sat back down on the bench grief overcoming her for what she had lost and the shell of the person she had become. "I….I don't mean to hurt anyone. I just…I don't know what to feel." Susan pulled her jacket around her tightly as if trying to keep the cold out as she tried to continue. "The four of us we went on a trip of sorts over break… and I met someone." Susan said bashfully sadness still stinging her features.

Cassy let out a long breath while shaking her head. "I should have bloody well known this was about some guy."

Susan looked at Cassy with daggers hating the fact that the other girl now seemed to think she knew everything about the situation.

Susan let out a frustrated breath looking contemplative. "I….it's not just that. When I was with him I felt for the first time in a really long time that I belonged there…you know? And here I don't ever feel that way. I'm always the girl on the outside who no one really wants to get to know. And with him….it wasn't like that. He made me feel…beautiful and smart and stronger than I think I really am and now I just don't know how to feel."

Cassy huffed and resituated herself on the bench. "Alright. Well now I'm not as worried…I'm jealous." She said with a frustrated sigh.

Susan just smiled slightly.

"So you meet prince charming. What's the problem?" Cassy asked trying to keep her own romantic frustration in check.

Susan's blue eyes darkened. "I was told that I won't be seeing him again."

Cassy's eyebrows shot up. "You were told? Did he say that?" "Oooh I can just see it… typical male…wouldn't know a good thing if it danced around them naked wearing a tiara" Cassy asked indignantly crushing her arms across her chest.

Susan laughed liking the feeling of someone being on her side for once instead of telling her she was just being silly. "Cassy! It's not like that. I think he wanted to see me just as much as I did him….it's just….we lead very different lives."

A sad huff left Cassy's mouth. "I've heard that one before. Are you sure this guy hasn't been talking to Peter?"

Susan's eyes widened as she turned to the girl next to her, realization setting in and her own problems momentarily forgotten. "You like Peter??"

Cassy leaned forward putting her head in her hands before pulling herself back up and looking back at Susan with her own desperation and sadness. "At least the guy you like also has feelings for you. I'm stuck here crazy about your idiot brother and nothing will every happen."

Susan looked at the pretty girl next to her and tried and failed to contain the laughter she felt building inside her. "And you thought _I _was the one with problems."

Cassy lifted her head and couldn't help laughing along with Susan. "oh shut up….at least now I'm not alone in my misery. So…what's your idiot like?"

Susan smirked. "Well I wouldn't say that my guy is an idiot…I won't argue about yours though…I think you've got that one dead on." Susan said with a straight face.

A sharp elbow made its way into Susan's arm and both girls fell into another fit of laughter.

Cassy looked at Susan expectantly. "Come on now. I spilled my guts. You've got to at least give me something."

Susan looked back appraisingly. "Alright. He's….different. He doesn't look like all the guys that go to school around here. He's darker with long and sort of …I don't know kind of scruffy hair."

Cassy lifted her eyebrows. "Tall?"

With a full smile attached to her lips Susan nodded. "Tall, brown eyes that I'm sure were made just to torture me……and ….to be quite honest ……the best body I think I've ever seen."

Cassy looked shocked hearing such girly talk coming from Susan Pevensie. When both girls looked at one another all composure was again lost as they both allowed laughter to roll through them.

Susan looked at her watch. "Come on we should get going you know."

Cassy placed her arm inside Susan's as they left the park knowing that the two were no longer enemies.

As they reached the train station Susan turned serious again. "So what do you do about these guys that are just out of our reach? Do you give up that you guys will ever get together?"

As they walked down the stairs to the train the girls saw Edmund Peter and Lucy waiting on one of the benches.

Cassy stopped short and smiled. She looked over at Peter and gestured towards him with her head. "Give up on that?"

Cassy's smile got even wider. "My dear Susan there are just some things in life that you should never give up on." She took a deep breath enjoying just looking at Peter smiling and ruffling Lucy's hair. "And that…is _definitely _one of them."

Susan smiled again. A part of Susan knew that Cassy was right. She had tried for a week to forget about Caspian and had felt nothing but emptiness for her trouble but during her 30 minutes of weakness where she had let her guard down she had felt better than she had since leaving Narnia.

Susan knew she didn't have all the answers but she knew she wouldn't survive if she went back to the misery that had been her last week in England. Silently she made a decision. She would take her memories of Caspian and her new ally and learn how to cope.

As Peter raised his head and spotted them, smiling brightly at her friend Susan felt a pang of jealousy in her heart. All she could do was watch as they caught each others eyes telling herself over and over in her head "It will be good enough," while mentally adding a silent "….for now."

**PLEASE read and review. I have an idea where I want this to go but I can often be swayed if you have suggestions or comments. Happy Weekend!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N Ok so sorry for the long update. That's not like me but I had thought I had figured out the ending but I changed my mind 3 different times. So now I've committed to one story line. Anyway this is really long to make up for it. Also this will be confusing to begin with but it should fit by the end so keep reading and if you want the next chapter…REVIEW!!**_

_Caspian looked in the mirror. He was wearing clothes that were finer than he had ever seen. He felt unworthy of all the opulence. His people had just made it through a difficult war with him leading Narnian's …a group that most of his race felt were extinct to victory. The Telmarines were torn as a people. Half of them didn't relish the thought of living in close proximity to those they had just fought in battle and the other half were grateful to be free from the constant fear of the tyrant Miraz…they knew Caspian would give them their lives back. Caspian however was not so sure of himself. Winning the battle at Aslan's how seemed easy to knowing what to do next. He was grateful that the Kings and Queens of old had stayed to help him. They knew how to go about the day to day tasks of hearing out complaints, meeting with advisors and planning for a prosperous year. He had learned much from the Pevensie's and didn't know if he would have been able to do it all alone. _

_Caspian picked up the box he had sent for and slipped a beautiful flower between the ribbons. There was another reason he was glad that the Pevensie's were here that had nothing to do with their political power and everything to do with the fantastic blue eyes of the eldest queen. Caspian sighed. His emotions were running wild inside of him. He was falling quite quickly for the beautiful queen and her steely gazes but he knew full well that even as the new King of Narnia and Telmar that he was not the most extraordinary man to cross her paths. The tales of men falling at her feet were legendary and had lasted the 1300 years of her absence. Men had fought wars for her. He only had his silly box with a flower tucked in the ribbon. _

_Amara entered Caspian's room without knocking finding him staring at the present before him. She pretended to cough to catch his attention. Caspian turned and his eyes bugged out of his head. "Good lord what have you done to yourself?" _

_Amara's eyes narrowed as she took stock of Caspian. "You know if you're really hoping to get anywhere with blue eyes you'd better start upping your game. You'll get nothing but a slap across the face if that's the best you've got." _

"_YOU can stop calling her that." Caspian said struggling to let his frustration with Amara come to light. He never knew how the girl could read everything about him within seconds but she could. She had only met Susan the day before at his Coronation and had already guessed his feelings for her. _

_Caspian turned towards the now stunning golden haired young woman before him draped in a blue and silver gown that clung tightly to her every curve and straightened his shoulders. "So what will it cost me __to get you to behave tonight?" Caspian said his eyes boring holes into hers as if willing her to become a proper daughter of one of his first lords just through sheer mind manipulation. _

_Amara smiled and placed her hands behind her back everything about her spelling mischief. "Actually I have a mutually beneficial plan for the evening and all it will require is a seat at dinner." _

"_Mutually beneficial eh? I'd love to see that actually come to light." Caspian said as he laughed. "And Where would you like to be seated my dear?"_

_Amara slowly traced the edge of Caspian's writing table with her gloved hand. "In the seat between you and King Edmund." She said as casually as possible. _

_Caspian folded his arms across his chest. "I think you know that seat is already reserved for Queen Susan." Mentally adding he had been waiting all day to sit next to her at the dinner of his Coronation ball. She had already been a great comfort to him after quite a few of his people had taken up Aslan's offer of a new life in her old world and he wanted to share something positive with her for a change._

_Amara turned around quickly with delighted fire in her eyes. "Exactly! You've known the good queen for a month and gotten absolutely nowhere and as much as I usually love to see you being so clueless I've decided to help you along." _

_Caspian thought a bit about what she was saying knowing that Amara had far too much power at manipulation for her own good but knew there was something else behind those silvery blue eyes. "And?" He asked knowing that his pure benefit was never Amara's first priority. _

_Amara looked at him and smirked. "And I wanted to see if a certain King liked my dress." She said as she walked towards the door. She picked up the present on the way. "I'll even deliver this for you. Do we have a deal?" _

_A silent nod was the only response she got but she left the room happy nonetheless. _

_**A/N Susan's dress and hair are actually similar to the red one she wore at the premier of prince Caspian except in my mind her dress is white with silver embroidery and has lots of layers of fabric at the bottom that flow out from the knee to the floor..definitely a little Spanish in Caspian's honor. **_

_Susan was finally finishing with her maids. It had taken them hours but even Susan could not complain at the results. They had held her loose waves together at the nape of her neck allowing a few strands of curls to frame her face and her gown was like none she had ever worn before. It was creamy white silk that brought out the contrast of her dark curls and red lips. The silver embroidery was too intricate and detailed for description but Susan had never felt so beautiful….until she opened the door. _

_There before her stood quite possibly the most beautiful woman Susan had ever seen. She was dressed in a shiny silvery blue gown and her own wavy golden hair was brought to lay quite softly over one shoulder. The effect was breathtaking. Although the woman before her was a year or two younger than __she there was no denying how incredible she looked this evening. Then she smiled. Susan was rendered near speechless…the girl was radiant. _

"_Your majesty." The girl said sweetly and confidently as she bowed to the queen in front of her. _

"_Lady Amara is it? Please come in" Susan said trying to keep the shocked silence from her voice._

_Amara glided into the large room before her pretending to take in the opulence. _

_Susan stood still for a moment still stunned by the younger girl's beauty "May I help you your ladyship?"_

_Amara turned around and smiled as innocently as she could. "Oh I nearly forgot. I was helping Caspian get ready and he asked if I could send this onto you." She said hesitating at the King's name to let it sink into Susan's ready ears. _

_Susan breath had caught in her throat. The thought of this woman in the presence of Caspian...helping him get dressed made her nearly sick to her stomach even though she would be the last to admit that it had affected her. _

_Susan took the package with the beautiful flower and smiled. It was one that she had told Caspian she had thought was quite beautiful on one of their long walks. Inside the box were a pair of stunning diamond hair combs with a small note "__**These were my mother's favorites and they have stayed hidden in my possession long enough. I think the time has come that they be seen once more upon a beautiful Queen. Please accept them as a small token of my thanks for everything you have done for me and our people. Yours, Caspian X" **_

_Susan picked the delicate combs out and Amara did her best to gasp at their beauty. "Oh how lovely. Shall I put them in for you?" _

_Susan nodded and the younger girl took them in her hands as Susan sat in front of the mirror. As Amara placed them gently at the back of her head so they encircled the delicate hairstyle that had taken her maids so long to produce she used her sweetest voice possible. "He is ever so thoughtful isn't he? You know... always giving us girls little trinkets and such. " Amara looked with satisfaction as a look of fire crossed Susan's usually impassive face. "oh well I'm done here. I best go try and finish making myself presentable before the ball. But I'm sure I'll be seeing you at dinner your majesty." Amara bowed and left the room as quickly as possible leaving Susan to think just how much the younger girl knew about the King of Telmar._

_The three Kings had been enjoying the reception thus far. The lords who were present were happy to celebrate as were the townspeople. The music was lively and the wine was flowing. Susan had just made her entrance and the King of Telmar nearly choked on his wine. Edmund had given him a swift punch to the back so that he spit it back out into his goblet. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined. He had no doubt now as to the validity of the stories of wars being caused over her. He knew he would probably slay any man who looked at her with more than kindness in his eyes. Her cheeks were sufficiently flushed and when his eyes caught hers he forgot about everyone else. She made her way down the staircase and towards the three of them with a satisfied smile on her face. She looked up to __find Caspian staring at her and her smile brightened. Holding her eyes with his he handed her a glass of wine for herself and bowed deeply. "Your Magesty. You are far too beautiful for words." Susan smiled and before she attempted a flirtatious retort a subdued gasp went out around the hall._

_Susan turned with everyone else and saw as Amara, now with her long golden curls held in place by sapphire pins that made her eyes even more blue, descend the staircase. Men were gasping all around her and none could keep their eyes from the beauty before them. _

_Caspian watched with good humor as his best friend descended the staircase. Amara had always known how to make an entrance. Beside him he took note to hear Peter's soft expression of "wow." But it was Edmunds expression that truly shocked him. Next to him the young king took a deep drink of his wine and whispered a soft but clear swear. "Bloody hell." As he took his eyes off her scanning the rest of the crowd who were all busy ogling Amara._

_Caspian leaned down towards his younger friend. "Are you alright your highness?" With a look of disgust in his eyes Edmund leaned into Caspian and motioned with his wine glass. "She's doing this on purpose isn't she?"_

_Caspian looked appraisingly at the young king. He knew Amara never did anything without purpose and he had originally thought that Peter was the one that Amara had targeted for torture tonight but now he was not so sure. Without comment from Caspian Edmund continued. "She's doing this to punish me. I met her yesterday and thought she was rather…pretty so I was the iditiot who tried to puff myself up and use my position to make myself look better. I tried to be smooth and pretend like I was doing her a favor by inviting her to the fancy ball at the castle…I even said I'd be happy to introduce her to people and show her around. Oh good lord" he said putting one hand over his eyes remembering what had been said. "I think I even said I'd be good enough to save her a dance."_

_Caspian's smile widened and his friend's look and behavior were finally making sense. Poor Edmund he thought. _

_Edmunds dark brown eyes landed on the golden haired beauty once again. "She's going to torture me for that one isn't she?" _

_Caspian could do nothing but laugh. "Well at least I'm not the only one she tortures anymore. And don't worry… if it makes you feel any better she has said that she only tortures those she likes. If she really wanted to stick it to you she'd have just poisoned you so you'd be so sick you wouldn't be able to get out of bed for a week." _

_Edmund laughed a small pained laugh. "You're horrid at making people feel better you know that?"_

_Caspian just smiled. "I was just trying to tell you that it is possible to feel worse." _

_Caspian watched as Edmund looked over at Amara who had turned to rest her blazing eyes on Edmund. To Caspian's surprise Edmund held Amara's gaze and smiled bringing the wine to his lips. Caspian had seen the look in his eyes once before during the defense of Aslan's how. It was the same look upon __Edmund's face as he got ready to counter Miraz's army's attack. For the first time in his life Caspian felt oddly sad as he looked on Amara. Everything was changing and he had been happy that Amara was a constant though sometimes annoying force in his life. She had been beautiful since she was twelve and had been wrapping men around her fingers ever since but none of them were able to see past hear beautiful hair and alluring eyes and so she felt entitled to play them to her will. But as he watched as she and Edmund made a physical battle of wits before him each acknowledging that they knew exactly what the other was doing he saw that for once Amara had an equal opponent and that perhaps she had met her match. _

_Dinner was something of a spectacle for everyone but despite the opulent food and drink most could not keep their eyes off Amara. She was doing a superb job at dominating the long table. She delighted everyone with tales of Caspian as a child sneaking into her room and hiding under the bed so that her mother would not find him there. _

_Edmund sat slouched in the chair next to Amara because even though he was very close to the girl who made him act like such an idiot he could not look directly at her and instead had a great view of everyone else and their reactions. In particular he did not like how much his older brother looked at the lady next to him. Edmund had also noted how often Amara leaned in next to Caspian at the head of the table and whispered something that would make him laugh outright, but somehow he knew they were more like brother and sister than anything else and that gave him some peace at the table. Looking across the table at Susan he could see that she did not share his insight into the two beautiful people's relationship. She looked positively hateful anytime Amara would place her hand on his arm and stroke it while talking of something they had done together. Edmund laughed slightly at the irony of it all. Susan had spent the better part of her life being the center of every man's attention and yet she couldn't see that the looks Caspian gave her were completely different to the one's he gave Amara._

_Amara leaned into Caspian once again so only he could hear. "See I told you it would be for __**our **__benefit, your queen looks ready to strangle me." _

_Caspian leaned in just as close "And Edmund looks about ready to strangle just about everyone else so your mission has been accomplished…now back off. I don't want her hating me for the rest of my life."_

_Amara smiled and whispered back. "I'll stop after the first dance."_

_Caspian looked sick. He wanted desperately to ask Susan to dance with him. She had looked so unbelievably beautiful tonight and the thought of anyone else dancing with her made him lightheaded with envy. _

_Amara saw the look and smiled again. "Don't worry…it's just one dance. Besides I think you'll want to ask her to dance the __**second **__dance. I have it on good authority that the second dance might just be the Oresco". Amara commented rising her eyebrows just a bit._

_Caspians eyes widened as he realized what his friend had in mind. The music began to play and he tried very hard to keep the smirk from his face. He offered Amara his hand. Peter offered to Lucy and Edmund to Susan as the Kings and Queens of Narnia began the night off with a flash of grace and beauty. _

_During the waltz-like dance everyone was watching everyone else. Susan watched with sadness and envy as Caspian twirled Amara on the dance floor as if he had been born to do so. Edmund watched both his sister and Amara. He knew Amara was playing with fire knowing his sister's temper but he happened to agree with Amara that the two needed a kick in the pants. He had been sick of the long looks the couple had been giving each other since the moment they met. It was quite disgusting when he thought about it. And he knew that her next move would be to put Susan and Caspian together for the next dance. He was fully prepared to take advantage of the change in partners. _

_The music slowed and Caspian made his move coming to bow next to Susan. "Your Magesty would you do me the honor?" He asked with a bow. Susan had wanted to be mad at him but she did not want to be too mad that he danced yet another dance with the beauty next to him so she took his hand. _

_Before Amara could leave Edmund stilled her with his strong arms. "I believe I told you I would try to save you a dance?" he said to the girl in front of him. His arrogance had been planned. Amara would never respect begging. She smiled at him recognizing his humor. "I believe you did. Do you really think that you can keep up though?" she asked with a gaze as she positioned his hands to the positions for the next dance that placed her in front of Edmund with her back to him with his arm around her resting on her waist and the other entwining their fingers. _

_Edmunds lips twitched as he recognized the music. "This is not my first Oresco my lady. You may have forgotten but I was not always a young King of Narnia."_

_As the first resonant chord of the passionate dance sounded Amara was forcefully and gracefully spun so that she was now face to face with the handsome young king, his dark eyes, and his strong arms holding her close to his body. Feeling herself pressed up against him she could only whisper "I have not forgotten." They did not speak the rest of the dance but their eyes and bodies continued their unspoken battle as they danced, never looking or noticing anyone but their partner._

_**A/N this dance in my head is a very passionate Spanish dance with flamenco accents…inspired by the music from the dance scene in the first zorro movie with Antonio banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones very fast with lots of tight holds…not so much the actual dancing though with those weird leaning back moves in my mind it is much more intimate with more dancing with the partner and looking in each other's eyes. The music for that scene is dead on though so I'd highly recommend putting that on (from you tube you can type in zorro dance scene) and play it in the background…the music inspired the scene. **_

_Susan's eyes widened as she recognized the sound of the dance. The oresco was something that was famous in Narnia and only performed by very talented dancers. She and her siblings had learned it as a matter of authority. There would be no social niceties that they did not know. _

_Caspian now stood behind her as Edmund stood behind Amara and whispered into her ear. "Do you know the dance Susan?" The tone of his voice and the use of her name sent cold shivers down her spine. Her jealousy and anger vanished as she heard the passion in his voice. He stepped in closer to her wrapping his arm even tighter around her in a possessive act. She wanted do to nothing more than to run her free hand up around his neck bringing it down so that he would have access to kiss hers. She was intoxicated by his presence and his hot breath upon her shoulders. "I remember," she got out breathlessly as the dance began in earnest. _

_The waltz they had danced before seemed as something only children would do in comparison to the dance they were sharing. Whereas that dance had been a lot of hand holding and respectful distance Caspian's hands were almost never on her hands for very long as he would spin her out and bring her back holding her tightly to his chest. She felt him grab her by the waist his other hand around her neck and drinking in the sight of her and her heart pounded loudly in her chest. As they spun around and around Susan realized that the dancing she had done had never been like this. The steps had been the same but the Telmarines… especially the dark sultry king in front of her had put so much passion into the dance that the one she had known could not even be in the same league as this one. She felt like she was on fire with his eyes and his hands dancing along her body as their feet reacted to the steps and she had never felt more alive. Her nicely done hair was coming undone and her curls flew about her face but she couldn't care less. Whatever it was he was doing to her was too pleasurable to care about anything else. _

_Susan was not the only one affected by the proximity and the heat of the dance. Caspian was having to use every ounce of restraint to not moan out loud every time her body came into contact with his. Her eyes had darkened as an effect of their proximity and he knew he would have to thank Amara for arranging this. There was no way to deny his feelings for her after a dance like this. He could almost taste the perfume she was wearing as her head came next to his in another tight hold. It was more intoxicating than any wine he had ever sampled. The ferocity that Susan had shown on the battlefield was now making its way to her dancing and into her eyes as she looked at him. _

_The pace increased and the crowd clapped along with the beat of the music making it even more furious for the dancers. Susan's hands made it into Caspians silky hair and Caspian lost all control. As the last hold of the dance came about he spun her into his arms possessively and slightly tasted her lips in a way that was so quick that no one was sure if he had done it except him. He had been wanting to taste her since the moment he saw her and it was better and more addicting than he thought possible. Her eyes closed and their ragged breathing began to settle as the music stopped. Caspian's hand still holding her delicate neck he whispered only two words. "The Garden." _

_Susan could only shake her head in response and followed him outside._

_As soon as they were out of everyone's eyesight he turned quickly pulling Susan forcefully into his arms and kissed her. Susan responded with every passion he had awoken in her, her arms going up around his neck and needing his lips and his body pressed against hers just as much as he did. After a few moments the furious kiss slowed to an almost torturously slow pace, Caspian taking her bottom lip into his mouth __and sucking on it gently before moving to her neck and whispering between soft kisses. "I've wanted to do that since the moment I saw you." _

_Susan's happiness was nearly explosive yet she had one question still on her heat and passion filled mind. "What about Amara?"Susan breathed out._

_Caspian smiled into her neck before tasting the soft skin once again. "I think she was trying in her own way to tell me to make a move." He said briefly before resuming his examination of Susan's exposed collarbone. _

_Leaning her head back and enjoying every second of this attention Susan held her eyes tightly shut in an effort to contain the pleasure she was feeling. As his mouth and tongue reached her pulse point Susan gasped. "You must remind me to thank her," Susan got out breathlessly as she recaptured his lips and sent them both past any previous boundaries of what pleasure should actually feel like._

In two different worlds 4 Pevensie's one Telmarine King and one Telmarine Lady awoke at the same time. Each had just had an incredibly vivid dream about their experiences during a celebration night in Narnia. A night and a series of events that had never taken place…

**MWAHAHAHAH! What do you think about the ending? The dream is REALLY important to the rest of the story. Did you like the dream? PLEASE tell me what you think. I live for REVIEWS!! Please!! Click the button!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know most of you probably thought this was done for but I have yet to leave an unfinished story in the field of battle and I don't want to start now. So without further ado….. ENJOY!**

Susan opened her eyes and put a hand to her head. As she noticed the grey cracked ceiling she knew exactly where she was. Finchley. Damned Finchley! She knew that when she got up there would be no gowns in her closet, no fawns playing music, and definitely no handsome kings kissing her breathless as she had just apparently dreamed.

As she moved her hand through her hair she could feel the dampness. She had worked herself up so much during the dream that she had actually begun to perspire! Susan let out a mirthless laugh and closed her eyes pulling the pillow around her face once again. She couldn't believe how different her life here was in comparison to that incredible dream. The only one offering her anything close to passion in this world was the uncomfortable boy who stalked her after school. And really she could imagine he would be just about as passionate as a damp kitchen rag when it came right down to it.

Oh but Caspian…..God if only it had been real! Somehow she knew that the passion she felt…could still feel radiating from him during the dream was not outside the realm of possibility if she were actually with him. She had seen him in battle, his sword and his dagger flying effortlessly through the air. She had felt the beginnings of that passion in his eyes when he looked at her. There had just not been any time to _explore_ that passion. And here she was subconsciously torturing herself with imagining what it would be like to unlock that passion and have it solely directed towards her.

Susan felt like she could scream in frustration. Her body ached to feel him close to her. She punched the mattress with both fists then drew the covers back over her head. It was Saturday and since she had nothing better to do she might as well try and go back to the amazing dream she had been having….surely nothing here in England while she was awake would be one tenth as satisfying.

* * *

Edmund was completely confused. He had just met Amara before they had left. He had spoken to her for less than 5 minutes and now he was having dreams about her. No these were not just dreams….these bordered on…Fantasies. He had know she was beautiful just by meeting and talking with her but to see her in that dream coming down the steps in that blue dress with her hair and shining eyes directed at him it was more than he thought his imagination could create by itself. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest at the mere memory of the dream. His breathing slowed as he realized that he was still in England….where the great lion felt they all belonged.

Although Edmund owed everything in his life to the great lion's sacrifice he couldn't keep the small ache in his chest from affecting his thoughts. His dream had felt so real and so possible that it pained him to remember it. It pained him to remember what he had dreamt about dancing with Amara, about holding her small hand in his. It pained him to remember the excitement and the catch of his breath as he held her near to him. It pained him to think about her smile and her cunning remarks.

But experiencing the ball with Amara was not the only thing that pained him. Although he had been quite taken in by his own dancing partner and the awakenings in his own heart that she had given him he could not help but be pained by the images of his sister and Caspian. In the dream seeing them together on the dancefloor moving from one passionate hold to the next Edmund was struck with how perfectly they seemed to go together. Although he himself was now young in body, in mind and heart he had lived far longer and never in all his years had he seen his sister as happy as she was in his dream. Caspian for all of Peter's whining was a good man and a VERY good leader. Edmund had also seen from their very first meeting that the new king was hardly indifferent to his fiery sister.

Their interactions in his dream seemed to coincide with everything he felt about the pair prior to their leaving. He knew that somewhere lurking beneath the surface of their not so subtle glances was the beginnings of extremely powerful and passionate feelings. The images of them on the dance floor merely mirrored what was going on between them inside.

Edmunds pain at this recollection only deepened as he recalled Susan's withdraw since their return. The light in her eyes that was so striking against her beautiful white gown in his dream had been absent from all her expressions since their return. She had a new friend that came around often that could often make her laugh but her heart wasn't in it. Actually the more he thought about it despite the fact that she had shown improvement in her work and in her manners in the last few days it appeared as if her heart wasn't in anything she did anymore.

And Edmund understood her loss. The only thing that had kept him able to face the world here was the fact that he knew he would be going back. Having to come back here and be Peter's little brother all over again was very hard to take but he knew that somehow he would once again be King Edmund the just and have that sense of purpose back in his life. He couldn't see what Susan had here to hold onto. They had all had such meaning in their lives in Narnia. Even as kids they made a difference in people's lives and changed things for the better and as hard as that was to leave behind he couldn't imagine leaving behind your first love.

An image of Amara dressed in her blue gown flooded back to his thoughts. With a sigh he realized that maybe he could understand that too.

* * *

Lucy had woken up smiling. She couldn't put her finger on it but she could feel that this was not an ordinary dream. She had rejoiced in seeing her sister so happy…even if only in a dream. She hoped it was an omen that Susan would again find such happiness and that she wouldn't be fated to spend her life in the shadow of such disappointment. She knew there wasn't much she could do but be there for her Sister and have faith. And faith was the one thing she had in abundance and somehow she knew in her heart that Aslan wouldn't demand a lifetime of unhappiness for someone he called 'dear one'.

She held that belief close to her heart as she readied herself for another day in this world that almost felt more foreign to her than the other in which she had lived.

* * *

Peter was disturbed by the dream. It was as if he had been there but also as if he hadn't. He had always felt a sense of purpose in Narnia but in the dream he could recall that although he was fairly at ease the sense of purpose and contentment had left him. There had been something about watching everything occurring in that dream that made him uneasy. He had felt himself watch Susan and Caspian dance together with a smug smirk on his face. They couldn't keep their eyes or their hands off each other during their dance and without meaning for it to happen they had become the center of the entire congregation. Although there were other couples the two had remained the central focus of everyone there. It was as if they were the monarchs to look to.

That was an entirely new sensation for Peter. He had always been the one to look towards. He had always been the one leading the ball, leading the battles, leading his people. And even in his dream he had felt that this was no longer the case. Although here in England he was having to come to terms with Caspian being in charge of the fate of the Narnian's in his absence even in his dream the power had been deferred to his friend….and his sister.

It was this thought that disturbed him the most. In his dream the lords and ladies, the subjects both Telmarine and Narnian were looking towards the pair in a more significant light. He had no idea why he would dream about this since he and Susan were not going back. He had decided when they had come back that he would enjoy the memories of Narnia and try and instill the passion he had for leading into his life here. As a leader you couldn't constantly be dwelling on the past and as such Peter had promised himself not to regret what had happened but to look towards the future.

Yet for the life of him he could not shake the feeling that the dream he saw did not belong in his memory as a mere image of the past….but that perhaps it belonged as a glimpse of his future.

**WOW. Sorry for how long this has taken to get out. I have no excuses except for extreme writers block. Please review this if you can! The more reviews and pestering I get the more motivation I have to finish this in a timely manner so PLEASE review!!**


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